


It Works Because It Has To

by XSadisticTsukiX



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Angst, Bruce Has Issues, F/M, Fluff, Gosh I love these boys, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Protective Bruce, Tony Feels, Tony just wants to feel loved, Tony stark is a sad boy, Where is Bruce?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XSadisticTsukiX/pseuds/XSadisticTsukiX
Summary: Bruce is gone, and Tony is hurt. Grace is just trying to hold things together.This will be part of a series of short pieces that may or may not follow a plot in chronological order.





	1. Bruce is Gone, and Tony is Hurt

Grace stirred the red sauce in the pot a few more times and reached over to grab her chopped basil as she was greeted by Peter. She smiled at him as she dumped the herbs into the pot and stirred again.

  
“Wow. Smells great in here Miss Wilson.” He said as he took a seat at a bar stool on the other side of the counter.

  
“Thanks.” Grace responded with a chuckle. “But seriously Peter. Call me Grace.”

  
He nodded. “Okay…Grace.” They both smiled.

  
“So are you getting used to Stark Tower yet?” Grace asked as she continued to cook.

  
“Yeah actually. Mr. Stark…I mean Tony made me that new suit and my new room is amazing. I feel right at home here.”

  
“I’m so glad to hear that Peter. You are a valuable member of this team. Please feel free to let me know if you need absolutely anything.”

  
“Thanks again.” Peter sat fidgeting in his seat, and although Grace noticed, she thought it better to give him the time he needed to say whatever was on his mind. It only took a minute or so before the young man couldn’t hold it in anymore.

  
“...Hey Grace? Can I ask you something?” Peter sounded even more timid than he looked.

  
“Yes of course. I’m a no secrets kind of gal. Ask away.” Grace tried to convey a sense of openness and warmth to make Peter feel more comfortable as she waited for his inquiry.

  
“I saw a picture of you and Bruce Banner and Tony when I walked past your room – I uh...pressed the wrong button in the elevator and sort of ended up on your floor, but I left right after almost."

  
Grace chuckled and shook her head. “It’s okay Peter. If you weren’t allowed in there, you wouldn’t be able to stop on our floor at all. What’s your question?”

  
“What happened to Bruce? Why isn’t he here?”

  
The Young woman’s eyes saddened a bit, but she did answer after turning the stove off and moving the pot of sauce to the counter. She worked to get dinner plated as she spoke.

  
“Bruce…is the one the kindest men you might ever have the pleasure of meeting. He loved Tony and I so much, and he was terrified of hurting us.” Grace paused for a moment and sighed.

  
“You don’t have to continue-“

  
“No don’t worry. I just really miss him.” Grace gave a small smile and continued. “During the battle with Ultron, the Hulk got out of control…normally, I can calm him down after a battle pretty easily. Tony was unconscious, but relatively okay on injuries, but the Hulk was fuming. He was thrashing about and the rest of the team decided it would be best to try and pin him down.” Grace saw the frown creep onto Peter’s face.

  
“You can’t pin down the Hulk.”

  
“Exactly. So, as he was throwing people off of him, I was dumb enough to approach and his fist connected with my body…I broke a few ribs and my leg broke as well. I was out of the field for a while because of the injuries. It was entirely my fault, but Bruce blamed himself. After Ultron was defeated…Bruce just disappeared…”

  
“I’m so sorry Grace. I can see in your eyes that you love him.” Peter was very sincere.

  
“Thanks. Tony and I have been getting by, but it’s been hard. Bruce added something special and warm to our relationship. We have been looking for him. Every free minute of every day…But he doesn’t want to be found. I just hope he knows how much we love him. I hope that he will return to us someday soon.”

  
“I hope so too. I would love to meet one of the greatest scientific minds of this century. As well as see you and Tony smile in a whole new way.”

  
Grace smiled softly. “You are such a sweet guy, Peter. We are all so happy to have you on the team.”

  
“Thanks. I’m excited to learn from you guys and help as many people as I can.”

  
Just then, Friday’s voice rang through the large kitchen space. “Miss Wilson, Mr. Stark has returned. He is in your chambers and your presence is needed.”

 

“Oh! Thanks Friday!” Grace pulled off her apron. “You help yourself to dinner Peter.” She said and rushed off to the elevator. Tony had been gone for a few days, and communication was sparse, so she was eager to see him and hear his smooth voice. She felt almost a buzz in her chest and limbs due to the excitement of it all. Two years together and she was still buzzing.

  
The elevator reached her floor and she all but ran down the hall past their shared living space and into their bedroom. She didn’t immediately see him upon entering the room. _Bathroom?_ She looked toward the en-suite bathroom, but the light was off. Confused, she took a glance around the room, but when her gaze finally found what it sought, the breath was knocked out of her lungs.


	2. What Happened to Tony?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace takes care of Tony and is desperate to help him, but she doesn't think she can do it alone.

He was on the floor on his knees staring with dead eyes at the ground, and his suit was a wreck. There was a large jagged gash across the chest and the core was dark. His helmet was completely missing and his face was bloody and bruised.

“Oh god Tony!” Grace kneeled next to him. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even look up. Maybe he was in shock? Did he even hear her? “Tony what happened?...Tony?” He still wasn’t responding.

“Friday, deactivate the suit and send it to the workshop for repairs.”

“Yes Miss Wilson.” The suit immediately began to break down, and Grace stepped out of the way to let the pieces whiz by.

“Run a bath at 100.3 degrees and check his vitals and for injuries please?”

“The bath is running now. Heart rate and breathing are normal. Blood pressure is moderately high. Brain activity is off the charts in the frontal lobe and amygdala.”

“Emotions and memories. God what happened?” Grace mumbled to herself. She wrapped one of Tony’s arms over her shoulder and lifted him. He participated in walking to the bathroom, but Grace doubted the effort was conscious. She sat him on the side of the tub and as she undressed him, more bruises and cuts being revealed as she worked. His entire body was covered in damage. Grace helped him into the tub and he sank down into the water. Immediately, tears started streaming down his face, and it wasn’t long before devastating sobs were wracking his body.

Grace’s heart was breaking. She just couldn’t fathom what could have happened. The last and only other time she had seen Tony like this was when Bruce had left.

She stripped off her own clothes and climbed in behind him. She wrapped her arms around his body trying to be careful of his injuries and just held him. It took well over an hour for the crying to stop.

Tony remained silent through Grace dressing his wounds and helping him into sleepwear. She climbed into bed next to him and moved in close so that she could easily run her fingers through and whisper apologies and words of comfort into his hair.

Tony managed to fall asleep some time later, not that Grace was keeping track with all of the thoughts running through her head, but upon looking over at the clock on the bedside table near her, she decided to get up. She gently rolled out of bed trying not to disturb Tony and grabbed her phone from the side table on her way to the living room. Her heart began to race as she dialed the number. Her free arm found purchase around her waist as a means of providing self-comfort, but she was trembling from within and mindlessly pacing the plush carpet, thumb poised over the dial button.

The screen going dark due to inactivity was what managed to snap her out of what could have been a never-ending stream of doubt, fear, and worry. Not wanting to be away from Tony for longer than she had to, she pressed dial and raised the phone to her ear.

The phone did not ring and instead, went straight to voicemail. She sighed and collected her thoughts as the automated voice ran through the spiel to leave a message. At the short beep, she began:

“H-hey Bruce…” She paused when her voice immediately began to shake. “I-I hope you’re doing okay out there…Things aren’t so great here.” Her voice broke and her eyes started to well up with the tears she had been holding back since the first time she laid eyes upon Tony that night.

“Something’s wrong with Tony. He’s been hurt…physically he will heal but emotionally…he hasn’t spoken. He’s barely conscious. Lost in his thoughts. He hasn’t been like that since-“ She shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. “ I-I don’t know if you’ll even get this message, but please come back Bruce. We need you. Please…” She ended the call and just stared at the screen even after the phone went dark. What pulled her from her thoughts this time was noise from the bedroom. She ran in to find Tony is an unconscious fit thrashing around beneath the comforter. Grace moved quickly to be next to him again and spent the rest of the night trying to soothe him through nightmares in any way she could think of. It was a toss-up between her voice or her touch being at all helpful, and once, she was left just waiting out the panic because absolutely nothing seemed to work.

She didn’t sleep. Couldn’t sleep. Wouldn’t sleep even if she wanted to. She would be there to hold things together as she always did. And Tony would recover. Eventually.


	3. Is That Really You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce returns, but for how long?

Ten hours later found Grace watching the sun breach the horizon as she ran a gentle hand along Tony’s arm. He had been asleep for two solid hours and had managed to mutter a quiet ‘thank you’ before he had fallen asleep the last time. It was an incredible relief to hear him say anything at all, but Grace was still worried. What had happened?

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of quiet footsteps approaching. This immediately confused her as she distinctly remembered asking Friday to put their floor on lockdown.

“Vision?” She called out quietly as she turned to check the time. Since acquiring a physical body, Vision hadn’t really been one for doors, so it was plausible that he had just phased through a few walls. When she glanced toward the approaching sound though, her eyes laid upon an entirely different figure. The first thing she noticed was a mop of dark curls covering the forehead of and framing a strong square face and jaw. He was looking at the ground, obscuring his features. Her eyes traveled over the grey hoodie and black sweatpants, the ratty old sneakers with chewed up laces. He never did care much for style when there was work to be done, research to test.

“Bruce…” She couldn’t manage any sound, so his name came out as a whisper. She was stunned and blinked several times believing that this hallucination would disappear in due time. But he was still there several seconds later. The wave and guilt-ridden half smile he gave managed to snap Grace out of her stupor allowing her to ease herself away from Tony’s unconscious form. 

She rolled, displaying none of the elegance her name suggested, off of their king-sized bed and ran, practically leaping into Bruce’s arms, wrapping her own over his shoulders. She couldn’t help but gasp as he returned the embrace with fervor and strength. Almost immediately, she felt a familiar sting and squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears. But she couldn’t stop the tears, or the trembling for that matter, and clung even harder to Bruce’s body.

Bruce could feel her shaking, but didn’t pull back from the hug until he felt a wetness on his shirt. As he stared down at her, he noticed how she didn’t even attempt to clear her face. 

“I’m so sorry Grace. I’m sorry for what I did to you. How I hurt you and Tony. I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything or telling you where I would be- “ Grace shook her head as he spoke until she had to interrupt.

“I’m just so glad that you’re here.” She said and laughed as she allowed the comfort of his presence to set in. She felt his rough thumbs brush the tears from her cheeks and then she was feelings his soft, full lips on hers. The salt of tears on her tongue was no match for the taste of him, and Grace melted into him instantly. She felt almost light-headed upon breaking the kiss.

Bruce took a step back looking the woman up and down as if it had been years since they had seen each other instead of eight months. Surprise. Surprise and pride and relief and the hint of guilt that might never fade was in his vibrant brown eyes. Grace smiled up at him, knowing what he was thinking. 

“Grace, look at you...you’re walking. I thought...what I did to you, how I hurt you...the doctors said-”

“Well those doctors were wrong. After you left, Tony was determined to help me walk again. He flew me around the world looking for someone who would try to fix me. Found someone in Germany who was willing to replace the shattered bone with vibranium of all things. Can you believe it?”

“Grace, that’s incredible. Are you back in the field?”

Grace shook her head and sniffed. “No uh, I’m still in physical therapy. I can support my own weight, but that’s about it. I’m restricted to just hanging out around here really. Doing everyday tasks. Tony’s got me on a strict PT schedule and for good reason. He’s the reason I’m walking at all.”

“Incredible.” He whispered again and gave her a beaming smile.

“Yeah, but don’t mention it to Peter. He things it was just a couple of ribs and a broken rib. I don’t need the kid walking me around the house like a boy scout getting a service badge.”

“Peter?” 

“Right. He came only a little while ago. Tony’s prodigy. He goes by Spider-Man and is dying to meet you.”

“Ah. Well, I’ll have to cross that bridge later.” Bruce smiled at Grace only momentarily before shifting his gaze to something behind her.  
She followed his line of sight until her eyes landed on Tony and she sighed.

“He spoke last night after I called you, but I don’t know anything outside of his injuries…He’s been asleep for about two hours now and that is the longest so far.” She explained in a hushed voice, feeling guilty for not having managed her volume better earlier. She looked back to Bruce to see a deep frown in his expression. He started moving towards the bed. Towards Tony.

“We should be right there when he wakes up.” His voice was rougher than before, wrought with emotion. Grace nodded and moved to the other side of the bed. They coordinated climbing into the large bed at the same time to minimize the chance of waking the Stark prematurely. Grace took a familiar position next to Tony and placed her hand back on his arm while Bruce remained out of contact in case the unfamiliar touch startled the wounded man. 

Grace fell asleep within minutes, comfortable, significantly less worried and with the image her loves in mind. Bruce didn’t sleep, but instead, watched the two sleeping figures in front of him. He felt guilty for leaving them, but he did not believe he could stay. The guilt of hurting Grace months ago still brought him to tears when he thought about it for too long. 

So, for now, he wouldn’t think about it. He would stay for the time being, for Tony, and maybe figure out a way to fix all of this at the same time.


	4. Let Me Make Sure You're Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wakes up. Where do we go from here?

“Grace...Grace wake up.” 

Grace grumbled and struggled to open her eyes as the sound of Tony’s voice pulled her towards consciousness. “Tony…” She mumbled.

“Wake up, beautiful.” She felt his stubble on her cheek and she blinked away the sleep and adjusted to the light in the room. She was staring up at the soft grey paint on the ceiling. I must have rolled over in my sleep. 

“I know that it’s late, but you still have PT today. Every session we miss puts you back a step.”

Grace turned to face Tony and was struck with a sense of confusion over everything else. The space behind Tony on the bed was empty, no trace of Bruce at all. Had Tony even seen him? And Tony. His demeanor was the exact opposite of the day before when he arrived torn up inside and out. A quick glance over his form told her that yesterday was real and something did definitely happen to him, but had she just imagined Bruce coming home as some twisted way to cope with the stress she was under?

“Tony, I think we should be more worried about you right now. You came home last night, catatonic and seriously injured-”

“Grace…” He stopped her. “Please don’t make me do this right now.” His voice was soft and so very vulnerable. He held her gaze as he spoke. “I just...wanna focus on you right now. Okay? That’s what I need.”

“I…” Grace wanted to fight. She could miss one day of physical therapy to take care of him, but she didn’t have the energy or strength to go against him. She sighed and responded, “Okay…”

“No.” Grace’s heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. He did come. He was here. She looked up at him in the same sweats, but sans sneakers, as he had the night before, and she felt breathless. 

Grace’s focus shifted almost immediately, though, when she felt Tony’s entire body tense. He was staring at her. Eyes locked. Intense gaze. She could see the hope and confusion swirling in his eyes. He was asking, is this real? To answer his silent question, Grace pulled her gaze from Tony and up to the man of the hour. Bruce. 

Tony didn’t budge. She couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. A million thoughts must have been running through his head.

“Tony.” Bruce started from where he stood in the archway between the living room and bedroom. “You could have broken bones, internal bleeding, a concussion...Please...let Friday have a look. Or if you’ll allow...let me make sure you’re okay?” Bruce was so desperate, it could be heard in his tone. Grace watched him approach, slowly, feet plodding softly across the floor. He climbed into their bed, a bed he had shared with them up until eight months ago and reached a hand out, placing it gently on top of Tony’s bare arm. Grace watched as the injured man first tensed and then relaxed under the touch. She watched him close his eyes and scrunch his brows. He was trying not to cry, feeling the need to be strong instead of relieved and happy. He couldn’t show Bruce how much he had missed him.

But Bruce already knew because he had listened to every voicemail, each one making it harder and harder for him to stay away. Each one pulling tears from his eyes long after he thought he couldn’t possibly shed another.

“Please Tony.” Bruce whispered, grazing his thumb over a hand-print bruise blooming purple across Tony’s skin.

Tony gave a tiny nod and opened his watery eyes to look up at Grace.

“Okay...but please don’t make me talk about it. Not now. I can’t-”

“I understand. You don’t have to tell me anything right now. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

Tony nodded again and began to push himself up into a sitting position. His immediate groan in pain had Bruce and Grace reaching out to help him up. Once sitting up and at the edge of the bed, he finally took a glance at Bruce. 

Bruce stared back at him with his usual shyness, but the guilt was also present in his rich brown eyes. Tony didn’t know what to say. He had too many options in his head, but all that came out was, “Let’s go.”


	5. Quiet Bruce, Impatient Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is okay, physically, but his behavior is also surprisingly normal. That doesn't seem right, but we'll let it slide for now.

The results were surprising to say the least.

“No lasting injuries at all?” Grace couldn’t believe it, especially considering the countless purple and blue bruises making themselves known all over his body. “What are those suits made of again?” She looked over to Tony who was laying flat on a metal table, eyes closed and in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, with the cockiest smile on his face.

Grace couldn’t help but smile at him in return though. After the night before, she was taking every positive moment she could get. She walked over to Tony who gave her a wink and reached out to touch her thigh.

“So now that I’m cleared, can we please get you to physical therapy? You really shouldn’t miss a day, hot stuff.” Tony squeezed the part of the thigh he had touched a moment ago. Grace scoffed.

“Fine. But Bruce has to do all of the lifting and pre and post stretching. You’re still too bruise-y for my liking.” She poked lightly at a particularly ugly bruise on his left pectoral and watched him wince. The goal was to prove a point, but she immediately felt bad and grazed her fingertips over the wound in a sort of silent apology. Tony placed his hand on top of Grace’s and gave a sympathetic smile before sitting up, slowly, and pushing himself off the table.

From across the room, Bruce chimed in for the first time in a while. 

“I don’t really think that I’m qualified to be running your physical therapy.” Grace snickered in response.

“You think Tony was ever ‘qualified’ in PT?”

“Wait, Tony is your physical therapist?” Bruce looked a little dumbfounded. “You didn’t hire a trained professional?”

Tony looked up from his hunched position where he was pulling his pants back up. “Bruce. Don’t be so naive. I’m a freakin' genius. I read every book and article there was while she recovered from surgery. Have you seen the kinds of positions a beautiful woman has to be in just to stretch and warm up for therapy? I wasn’t gonna let some tan, overly-muscular, accent-carrying meat-sicle come in here and put his perverted hands all over our girlfriend.” Tony buttoned his pants and pulled on his shirt as he talked. “I’m perfectly capable of handling her PT.”

“It was also my preference.” Grace chimed in. 

“See Bruce-y? It’s what she wanted.” Tony responded in a tone only meant for gloating, and Bruce threw his hands up in defeat.

“Alright alright I see your points. You’re perfectly able to run things.” He turned to Grace. 

“You’re walking for pete’s sake.”

“Uh-huh and if she wants to run and jump anytime soon, we’d better get to work.” Tony was walking towards elevator. “Friday, cut the lights please and locked up in here would ya?”

“Anything you say, Mr. Stark” the computer program responded. Tony entered the elevator and turned to wait expectantly for his lovers.

Grace sighed at his impatience, but gave Bruce a quick smile and nodded for him to follow. “Don’t worry, Bruce. You’ll do great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today! Stay tuned for more!
> 
> Also, that you for all of the comments and kudos! I'm so motivated to continue working on this :)


	6. Physical Therapy is Definitely NOT Sexy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace has physical therapy. Nobody is talking about the big issues. Tensions rise.

The elevator ride down to the first level below ground was quiet, but relaxed. Grace, who stood in the middle glanced back and forth between Tony and Bruce, trying to gauge what they were thinking. No one had talked about the fact that Bruce had disappeared for over eight months or what had happened to Tony the night before. It was eating her up inside. The anticipation of a conversation that could turn awkward or angry very quickly. The anticipation of a breakdown from any of the three over what had transpired from Grace’s injuries to the present. But she was keeping a calm exterior for all of them. 

The elevator dinged and opened up to the Avengers Personal Gym. They all stepped out, Grace first, followed by Bruce and then Tony. 

“Nothing new to the gym space really. Just some equipment for Grace.” Tony offered as conversation as they walked through the space.

Grace walked back to them, in the middle of the room, and began unrolling a yoga mat for stretches. She sat down immediately and started stretching, arms across her chest. Tony gave her a questioning look and she frowned, showing the shame she felt for not being stronger by now. Her progress had been slower than expected, and she missed the last two days of work out in Tony’s absence. 

“I’ve been on my feet a lot already today...fatigue. I’m sorry.”

“Hey you don’t have to be sorry, beautiful.” Tony crouched down in front of her, lifting her chin to help her meet his gaze.” I’m gonna be here as long as it takes. We do this at your pace, okay?” He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Grace nodded and went back to stretching, and Tony beckoned to Friday, “Friday, pull up today’s workout on Grace's PT schedule.”

As Friday responded and pulled up the plan, Grace chanced a glance up at Bruce who was standing awkwardly several feet back from the two of them. She gave him an apologetic look, but he was determined not to make her feel bad for anything. None of this was even the slightest bit her fault. He bucked up the courage to walk over to her and kneel in front of the map.

“How can I help?” He asked and gave her a small smile.

“Sure uh, you can give my back a little bit of pressure to extend my stretches a bit, okay?” Bruce nodded and watched Grace get into a position with her legs closed and pushed in front of her. She nodded for Bruce to get behind her and bent forward to reach for her toes.

“Okay, now.” She said and then felt his large hands splay across her back. She felt just a little pressure and was grateful with his hesitation and nerves because even that was a little uncomfortable. After ten seconds, she straightened her back and spread her legs wide, to about a 140 degree angle. “I’ll ask you to do the same thing for this stretch, okay Bruce?” He agreed and they continued the stretching.

A short few minutes later and they were moving on to the last few stretches, just in time for Tony to chime in. “Bruce, you’re a lucky guy today. This last stretch is my favorite to help her with.”

Grace rolled her eyes and scoffed, but laid on her back with her legs and arms flat on the mat. “You’re such a perv, Tony.” She quipped to which he winked at her and squatted, again, beside her, facing Bruce.

“So what you have to do is take one leg at a time, bend it first at the knee, to her chest, and then out and up to her side. Bring the leg back up to her chest and then extend the calf up straight, holding her leg at a 90 degree angle to the floor. Finally, you’ll pull the leg back, moving her foot towards her head, until you meet a little bit of resistance. And let me tell you, she retained a lot of flexibility.” Tony smirked and gave a couple of eyebrow raises to Bruce who was already blushing.

“Tony! Give it a rest for a moment.” Grace responded, but she was giggling. She turned to Bruce, though, and apologized. “Sorry for him. You know how he is. Just take it slow and I’ll guide you through okay?” 

Bruce nodded, took a noticeable deep breath, and then they began. They got through the first part of the sequence with little more than pink-stained cheeks from Bruce. Grace felt bad for him, but he was also incredibly adorable. Sure, he had always been shy, but over the course of their relationship, she had managed to get Bruce to open up and become more comfortable with himself, and with the intimacy a relationship naturally brought on. She couldn’t imagine how many steps he had probably fallen back after over eight months of little to no contact with anyone. It didn’t help that she was developing a sheen of sweat across her skin or that Tony was purposely using a low, sultry voice to coach her through the discomfort. She was gonna have to talk to him later to try and get him to lay off. 

She held the back of her leg through the final part of the sequence while Bruce pushed her leg towards her head. About four inches from her head and she made a sound signaling pain. Bruce held the position as Tony asked but he felt horrible watching Grace whimper and pant. Tony’s countdown from ten seemed to drag on for hours, But Grace did not back down from the challenge, and when he finally reached one, Bruce was given the okay to slowly lower her leg to the ground. While she caught her breath, Tony and Bruce when to work giving each leg and thigh a quick massage. Tony muttered words of encouragement, and she nodded in response, eyes closed, just focusing on the tension leave her muscles. 

Bruce wanted to ask if she was okay, but decided against, worrying that he might offend her. Instead, they all stood, and walked over to a treadmill. Tony instructed Bruce on how to help Grace into a harness designed to bear some of Grace’s weight since she was not yet strong enough to run on her own. As she ran, she and Tony caught Bruce up on her progress so far. What worked, what didn’t work, what she liked and hated, and what other strategies they were using to supplement the workout. She ran for twenty minutes until the treadmill slowed to a stop on its own. Bruce helped her out, holding her by the waist with one hand and holding her hand draped around his shoulder with his other. 

He really had missed them, and being back in the presence of Tony and Grace had him hungry for the feel of their skin. His kiss with Grace from the night before still made his lips tingle when he thought about it. He hadn’t had much contact with Tony, but he understood. Maybe it was for the best considering he wasn’t sure yet that he would be staying. But he shook those thoughts from his head to focus on her. She needed his help right now, not his guilt.

Next, he supported her legs a little bit while she did reps on a machine that challenged her to bend and lift her legs to move weights up and down. Bruce and Tony could tell that she was getting tired, but she insisted on pushing forward, pushing herself. She did an aerobic-like exercise where she stepped on and off of low-rise platforms to music for a few minutes assisted by Bruce standing next to her for support and balance.

The finally exercise was forward and backward lunges while holding weights in her hands. Bruce held her by the waist for the first set on each leg while Tony continued to offer up words of encouragement. Grace smiled to herself. She felt so proud, and she could tell that Tony did too. 

But then Bruce was instructed to let go and allow Grace to do the lunges on her own. She was hesitant, but proceeded to try anyways. The first set went smoothly, but she visibly started to struggle to pull herself up out of the lunge. Tony’s voice started to raise, and he really started to push her. She managed to get up from another, but on the down of the next lunge, her legs started to shake.

“Tony, I can’t.” She said through tight breaths.

“Come on Grace! Push! I know you can do this!” Tony knelt in front of her and looked her right in the eyes. “Push! Come on!”

But she couldn’t and she dropped the weights to the ground next to her, catching herself with her hands on the ground. She huffed and puffed for a moment before balling her hands into fists and shouting.

“Fuck!” She exclaimed. “I’m not getting any better, Tony!” Really, she was trying not to cry and choosing to be more angry instead.

“What do you mean?” He frowned. “Your flexibility is great, and your up to twenty minutes on the treadmill without any fatigue.

“Yeah, but I’ve been this way for almost three weeks now. I’m not getting any stronger. And at this rate, I’ll never get back into the field. I’ll be useless.” She felt defeated and rubbed at her eyes as as the tears started to fall.

“Hey, let’s call it quits for the night yeah? I bet you could use a bath and we can get some dinner and catch up with Bruce. Tomorrow we can do some scans and analyze your progress. I bet we can figure this out.” Tony wanted her to feel confident in her abilities. He could see all of the progress she had made over the past few months and he brimmed with pride during every workout. Every step she took was miraculous.

Grace just sighed and shrugged. “Sure.” She said and stood up to leave. “Whatever you say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna know your thoughts! Where do you think this is gonna go? I've got a couple of ideas, but I'm not dead set on anything yet. New chapter hopefully this week!
> 
> <3


	7. Things Never Fail to Fall Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce has something to say, but Tony doesn't want to hear it, and neither does Grace.

Grace sank down into the exceptionally large bathtub in the “Tony, Bruce and Grace Ensuite Master Bathroom”. She still hadn’t been able to convince Tony to take down that ridiculous sign. The water was hot enough that she could see wisps of steam rising above the over-abundance of bubbles, but it was comfortable for her, and the ache in her muscles were grateful for the care. She sighed and reached beneath the water to massage a particularly angry calf muscle.

Tony and Bruce were just outside in their shared bedroom, and Grace was relieved to hear their voices in conversation. She couldn’t hear what they were saying specifically, but their warm dulcet tones were enough to lull her into a state of half-sleep. The lavender scented bubble bath probably didn’t hurt either.

In the bedroom, Tony and Bruce’s conversation wasn’t going well.

“What do you mean you can’t stay?” Tony was obviously upset, but he was at least trying to keep his voice down so as not to alarm Grace in the other room.

“Tony,” Bruce sighed and pinched his nose in frustration. “You know why I left. I’m dangerous, and it’s safe for me to be here.”

“Are you kidding? Bruce, we are all Avengers. We can hold our own.”

“You have a suit to protect you, but she doesn’t. And look what happened! You saw what I did to her. I broke her into pieces. I can’t be with you. Either of you.” Bruce could feel his anger and anxiety rising, but the green guy had no present intention of coming out for a visit.

“She’s recovering! And for christ’s sake, she would be devastated if you left again. Both of us would.” Tony’s voice got quiet at the end. He hated to admit his vulnerabilities, but if it would make Bruce stay, he would get down on his knees and cry if he had to.

“You don’t get it, Tony. You don’t know what it feels like to have been the hand to cause irreversible damage to a person that you love more than anything on this Earth.” Bruce got up and crossed the room if only so that he wouldn’t have to look at Tony as he spoke. “At least if I’m gone, you’ll both stay alive.”

“It wasn’t living…” Neither man had noticed Grace’s entrance into the bedroom. When she had heard Tony’s voice rise, it had woken her from her sleepy haze and prompted her to climb, slowly, out of the bathtub and see what the commotion was about, and now, she was standing, wrapped in a fluffy white robe, dripping water onto the plush carpet from her body and hair. She wrapped her arms around her torso and stared at the back of Bruce’s head. “Eight months of feeling empty, of merely existing without you...existing with a pain much worse than the shattered bones in my legs and spine.” 

Bruce hadn’t budged, so Grace took it upon herself to walk over to him, to stand right in front of him, to make him look her in the eye.

“That’s what living without you is like.” She felt her voice waver as she spoke. “Don’t make us do that again. Please.”

Bruce stared back at this beautifully strong woman for some time. How had he been so lucky to get someone like her. How had he been stupid enough to fuck it up? Her injuries, severe enough to require extensive surgery and even more extensive rehabilitation were the memories that kept his decision solid, though. She had Tony, and although he was rash and inappropriate, and a downright cocky piece of work, he was also passionate and he cared very deeply for Grace. They would be okay as long as they had each other.

“I’m sorry, Grace. I can’t stay.” He answered quietly. And then he watched every ounce of strength and resolve she had crack and dissolve in front of his eyes.

Grace felt as if the wind had been forced from her lungs and she couldn’t suppress the absolute heartbreak she felt in her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find any words. Instead, her mind went to Tony. She looked over at the mechanical genius to see him crumpled on the edge of their bed. His body was bent so far over and his head was in his hands.

The young woman found herself by his side, ignoring her own feelings in the effort to comfort him.

“I lose everything important to me…” He muttered. “Bruce...my parents...Cap...just leave me to die. I’m not worth it…” He was talking through his tears, and this time, Grace didn’t know how to comfort him. She had never heard him speak this way. So, she just stayed by his side. All she could do was prove that she would never leave him. When she spared a glance upwards in Bruce’s direction, he was nowhere to be found, and it took everything she had to hold back her own agony. She would be strong for Tony now, and deal with her own emotions later. Like she always did. 

And it worked. 

Because it had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOHHHH! I added the title of the piece into the storrrrrrry!
> 
> Lol anyways, I really do think that this will have a happy ending. My apologies if things seem to be a little drawn out, but thank you for having a read! I hope you are enjoying things so far!
> 
> Also, my apologies if Tony and Grace's emotions seem a little extreme and unrealistic. Sure, emotions like this could point to issues of co-dependance, and both of them should probably be in some kind of therapy, but I enjoy writing this kind of thing, and with the chance of anyone dying at any moment and them all being in extreme situations as Avengers makes the emotion feel more real in its extreme-ness.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Catch ya later :)


	8. A Little Run in with Spider-Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce bumps into Peter on his way out.

As soon as Grace had walked away, Bruce had moved to retrieve his things from the connected living room. He slipped his ratty old sneakers on and pulled the brown leather jacket he arrived in over his shoulders. He was on the elevator and heading down to the ground floor within minutes. As the elevator flew down, he did his best to erase the image of Grace’s broken expression and the sounds of Tony’s devastated sobs from his brain. They were hurting now, but the sooner he left, the sooner they could recover. They were really safer without him. At least, that’s what Bruce told himself.

The elevator stopped and Bruce stepped out as the doors slid open. He only made it two steps in his hurry to leave before he slammed into an unknown figure, knocking them to the ground.

“I-I’m sorry.” Bruce gruffed and reached out a hand to help his latest victim. 

Peter Parker, presently on the floor, shook his head and looked up towards the unfamiliar voice. He was stunned to be staring at the one and only Bruce Banner. The young man’s jaw dropped and he was speechless for another moment before his eyes landed on the hand Bruce was offering to help him up.

Tony grabbed the hand and was pulled up with ease. “U-uh hi! Mr. Banner- I mean  _ Doctor  _ Banner it is such an honor to finally meet you.” Peter held the hand that helped him up and shook it enthusiastically. “I-I’ve heard so many amazing things! It’s good to have you back in the tower!”

Bruce was flustered as he had no idea who this boy was. “Who are you exactly?” He asked as he pulled his hand away.

“Oh! Forgive me. I’m Peter Parker! Uh…” He jumped into a pose when Bruce didn’t respond. “I’m Spider-Man!” Peter shot a web for emphasis, but Bruce still didn’t react with any sense of recognition. So Peter landed on, “I’m kind of Mr. Stark’s protege...he built me a suit and made me an Avenger.” Peter laughed nervously.

“Oh I see. Well it was nice to meet you, Peter. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Bruce started to zip his jacket and head for the front entrance of the compound.

Peter turned to follow.

“Uh wait! Are you leaving? Have you gone up to see Grace and Tony yet?” Bruce didn’t stop walking and he didn’t respond to the question. “I was just talking about you with Grace the other day. She would be so happy to see you if she hasn’t already!”

Still, Bruce kept walking towards the door. His mind was made up. Not even this enthusiastic boy was going to stop him.

Peter didn’t know what was going on, but he felt like he couldn’t let Dr. Banner leave, so he shot a web in the final archway before Bruce could reach the door. 

Bruce sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

“Dr. Banner…” Peter started, not knowing what to say, but feeling compelled to try something. Look, Grace told me about what happened in that battle with Ultron, and I know you probably feel like you are a danger to Grace and Tony, but they really want you here.”

Bruce took this pause in Peter’s speech to turn and look at him. “It’s really not that simple, kid.”

“No, it is! I’m just a dumb teenager, but I really liked a girl once it is sucked super hard when she moved across the country. It still hurts to be honest.” Peter frowned at his own admission. “Anyways, you should hear how Grace talks about you, and Tony is always praising your work. They love you so much, and you can see the pain in their eyes when they talk about you being gone.”

Bruce sighed and walked towards a living room space to sit on a blush grey couch. Peter followed close behind. 

“They are safer without me. The Ultron Battle was proof of that.” He leaned his head in his hands.

“I know that you think that, but they are happier with you here. I’m sure that there is a solution to the Hulk problem that you three could come up with.” Peter responded. “Look, I’m not saying you should stay if you really don’t want to, but if you still have love in your heart for them, trust them a little and give this a try again. At least stay a little longer. They need it.” Peter got up and grabbed the orange juice he original came down for.

“It was nice to meet you again, Dr. Banner.” Peter said and headed back up to his room.

“...yeah...you too, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one night whoohoo!
> 
> I hope you like it! Let me know your thoughts!


	9. The Boys are Back in Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Spider-Man wasn't enough to convince him, maybe a visit from another Avenger would do the trick? Bruce makes a decision, but are Grace and Tony ready for it?

While Grace had managed to coax Tony to sleep after a few hours, Bruce had not slept a wink by the time dawn broke the following morning. He had sat on the couch in the living room all night. Just thinking. That Peter kid managed to make several points that broke his resolve the night before, but the images of Tony unconscious and Grace mangled due to him losing control kept flashing through his mind.

Bruce had admitted to himself how much he had missed Tony and Grace. Eight months of complete isolation with only his thoughts and the horrible memories he would never forget. Every time he got a new voicemail from either of his lovers, it pained him. Bruce had hurt them in that battle and had continued to hurt them by leaving. But he had told himself that they were safer and would eventually be happier without him. 

Maybe that wasn’t true though. Bruce couldn’t figure it out. He didn’t know what to do, but he had decided one thing: He didn’t want to leave. 

So, he wouldn’t leave. At least not today. 

Bruce took a glance at his watch to see the time of 6:24 am. Several thoughts crossed his mind. 1. I should do something nice for Tony and Grace. Maybe make them breakfast. 2. They’re both probably still asleep (to which he confirmed with F.R.I.D.A.Y), and 3. I’ve been in the same clothes for way too long.

He decided to head back down to the gym for a quick shower. He thought up a plan while the hot water ran over his tired body, and when he stepped out into the locker room afterwards, there was a locker with his name on it open and with clothes inside. He wondered who might have placed them as he got dressed. Light grey boxers, dark grey jeans, purple long-sleeved v-neck shirt. Bruce smiled at the thought of Grace handling things like this in the effort to make things easier for him.

He left the socks and shoes in favor of plodding around barefoot and headed back up to the kitchen to start some breakfast. By now, the time was 7:20 am, and Grace and Tony usually woke up around 8. Bruce started a pot of coffee and dug around in the refrigerator for breakfast items. He had just cracked a third egg into a skillet when Natasha sleepily dragged her feet into the kitchen. 

He froze as he watched her yawn and rub her eyes as she hadn’t noticed him yet. When the fiery-haired woman did finally open her eyes and set them on Bruce, her expression flashed a sense of confusion for only a moment before falling into one of serenity.

“Hey big guy.” She gave him a soft smile and walked behind him to grab a mug from the designated cabinet. “You stayin’?”

He chuckled at her keen ability to get straight to the point.

“For now I suppose.” When Bruce didn’t hear a response, he chanced a glance in her direction. She was standing in front of the open fridge with a carton of almond milk poised to pour in the mug she held in her other hand. The look on her face was one more stern than he had ever seen from her before.

“Come on Nat…” Bruce sighed. How many people was he going to have to explain this too?

But her expression softened.

“I won’t tell you what to do.” She said, the rasp in her voice more prominent so soon after waking up. “But if you decide to leave, at least keep in touch this time?” She took a moment to pour her milk and put the carton back in the fridge. “Those two drove themselves crazy looking for you. The rest of us weren’t happy either.” Natasha sighed. “I know you want to protect them, but disappearing off into nowhere isn’t the way.” 

Bruce nodded slowly and watched her take a swallow from her mug. 

“Anyways,” She said, pulling the mug away from her lips. “It’s good to see you, big guy.” She placed a sure hand on his shoulder, gave him a small smile, and left the kitchen.

Bruce hurried back to making breakfast as his thoughts continued to swirl. He really had no idea what he was going to do and was resigned to taking things one step at a time.

When finished cooking, Bruce loaded everything up onto trays and took the elevator up the nine floors to where his lovers resided. He placed the food and drink on the coffee table and walked into the bedroom to find no one asleep in bed. He did hear water running in the bathroom, though, and decided to wait for them in the living room.

Tony walked out of the bathroom clad only in a towel around his waist. The first thing he noticed was a smell.

“Hey Grace, did you order breakfast in?” He shouted back to her.

“Hmm? No.” She walked out in a robe with a towel twisted atop her head. “Maybe Nat or Clint are cooking?” She walked over to a chest of drawers pulling out a bra and panties to put on. 

“Possible. But when has a smell from the kitchen ever travelled up nine floors?”

Bruce could hear them conversing from his place on the couch, so he got up. By the time he made it to the archway, Tony was in shorts and a t-shirt and Grace was heading into the walk-in closet in her underwear. 

Bruce’s eyes sought the wide of her hips and the swell of her bottom through some sort of carnal desire, but what he noticed instead made his stomach drop. Just before she disappeared into the closet, he got a look at the scars running up the backs of her legs and down the center of her lower back. Red, angry, jagged scars. Bruce hadn’t been there for her surgeries, but he could pictures the scalpel cuts happening where each scar laid as if he had been in the operating room performing the surgery himself.

Bruce couldn’t control the pained gasp that passed his lips at the sight of the damage he had caused.

“You’re still here.” Tony muttered. He had heard the gasp. 

The timid sound of Tony’s voice pulled Bruce from his thoughts. Tony never ever sounded like that. At least he didn’t use to.

“U-uh yeah I…” Came Bruce’s sheepish reply. He didn’t know how to explain why he didn’t leave because part of him still believed he should have, so he settled on what he brought. “I made breakfast. A-are you hungry?”

“Sure.” Still so quiet. “What did you make? It smells like bacon in there.” Tony leaned to the side to look past Bruce for emphasis.

“Yeah there was applewood smoked bacon in the fridge. There’s also eggs over medium, toast with raspberry jam, fresh peaches with cottage cheese, coffee, and orange juice.” 

“Geez buddy, you practically brought up a buffet.” Tony gave a warm smile, cracking that timid outer shell from a moment ago. It made Bruce blush and laugh nervously.

“I wasn’t sure what you would want, so I just made a bunch of options I guess.” He followed Tony into the living room and sat next to him on the couch. Bruce wasn’t very hungry as he had tasted everything as he cooked. Although, to be honest, he was mostly worried about the talk he would have to have with Grace and Tony. So, he just watched Tony eat, the act of which brought Bruce great pleasure. Mr. Stark seemed to be enjoying everything offered, and greeted Grace with a full mouth when she walked in. 

“Grace! Bruce made breakfast!” He muffled, catching the piece of egg that fell from his mouth in his palm.

“Aw Tony come on. Where is your home-training? I swear sometimes I think you were raised by wolves.” Tony just laughed and swallowed his food.

Grace grabbed orange juice for herself and sat in the one-seater to the right of the Bruce/Tony loveseat and the room fell silent save for Tony’s eating sounds.

Bruce chanced a nervous glance up at Grace, but she wouldn’t make eye contact. She just stared straight ahead and sipped at her juice.

Tony finished his breakfast and sighed. “Whoo that was great Bruce. Who knew you were such a master chef.” Tony stood and stretched. “Well, I’m gonna head down to the lab. Anyone care to join?” He looked back and forth between his two lovers, and when no one responded, he added in a sing-song voice, “I’m testing out some new suit features todaaaaay.”

“I’ll probably come down later. I’ve got some things to take care of first.” Grace answered and got up to put her empty glass down.

“You got it hot stuff. Bruce?”

“I have to make a few phone calls, but I’ll meet you there.” Bruce gave a small smile, and that was enough for Tony. He got up, dusted the crumbs off of his shirt, and walked to the elevator.

Bruce stood up and followed Grace back into the bedroom.

“Grace, please can we talk?”

“No, actually Bruce. I don’t really want to talk. I don’t want to hear how you made breakfast for us to soften the blow because we’re not safe around you and you have to leave.” Grace turned back to him with anger and hurt in her eyes. “Save it Bruce. Just leave already. The longer you stay, the more it’s gonna-”

“I don’t want to leave.” Bruce interrupted. He watched her face contort in confusion. “I-I’m sorry for cutting you off, but...I thought I might not get to say any of this.” He took a deep breath and just started talking.

“I don’t want to leave, but I feel like I have to. I don’t trust myself to not hurt you again. I see the scars on your legs and back and feel nothing but shame over the harm I’ve caused you. I hear the way Tony speaks and see his hesitation in my presence. I hurt you both so much. I don’t deserve you.” 

Grace shook her head and turned to walk away, but Bruce grabbed her wrist.

“Wait please.” He pleaded. She wouldn’t turn to him, so he just kept going, kept his grasp on her. “I don’t feel like I deserve you or Tony, but I want you...and if you want me, I’ll stay…”

“Bruce…” She was breathless as she turned back to look at him. He wouldn’t meet her eye, so she just pulled him into a hug. She draped her arms over his shoulders and squeezed tight.

And after a moment, Bruce hugged her back with strong warm arms. They stood like that for a moment, but Bruce wasn’t done talking.

“I have a condition, though.” He muttered quietly.

“Bruce, anything.” Grace pulled back to look him in his beautiful worried eyes. “Anything.”

“We need to fix me. Or find better ways to keep the green guy calm. And I need to stay out of the field until then because I won’t hurt you or Tony or anyone I love ever again.” 

He spoke with so much conviction, but Grace just wanted to fight his words. He wasn’t broken, and he didn’t need to be fixed. He hadn’t hurt anyone on purpose and she was fully confident that he never would again, but she thought it wise not to fight him out of fear of him backing out and deciding to leave. The thought genuinely scared her.

“Okay.” She smiled up at him. “We’ll figure something out. Whatever it takes.”

They hugged again and made their way down to the lab to find Tony tinkering with an arm piece from one of his suits.

“Hey you guys finally showed up.” He beamed.

Grace was starting to get whiplash from how quickly Tony seemed to bounce between emotional states these days. At least he was happy at the moment.

“So prepare yourselves, lady and gentleman, for you are about to be astonished and amazed by my latest suit upgrade.” Tony was waving his mechanical arm around like a cheesy magician at this point, and it made Grace smirk and cross her arms. She had taken to hanging around the lab to help Tony with his work in Bruce’s absence, and his presentation hadn’t changed once in eight months.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, pull up a blast absorption shield so that I can test this baby out.” When the field appeared in the middle of the room, Tony raised his arm to aim. He looked over at Bruce and winked at him before firing at the shield. 

The blast was loud and bright, but the shield served its purpose and there was no damage when the smoke cleared.

“Rainbow fireworks, Tony? That’s the big upgrade you’ve been working on?” Grace chuckled and hopped up on a empty table.

“Hey, it’s not easy finding chemical combinations that will produce the right colors and be compatible with the blasts my suits produce. Now, I can give a little show as I kick alien ass.”

“I like it.” Bruce chimed in to which Grace rolled her eyes with no real irritation behind the gesture. “The green could be a little brighter, but I could help find a better combination with barium to really amp it up.”

Grace sat back and watched her men zip around the the lab mixing chemicals and testing the suit arm. They both looked so relax and happy even, and for the first time in a long time, she could really see things working out okay for them all. She thought she might truly get her boys back after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time and I'm sorry! Life has been wild between planning a move and planning a wedding, but I took a break from all of that to write another chapter, so I hope you enjoy! <3

**Author's Note:**

> This piece has a part two that will be up shortly...hopefully!


End file.
